


through a song

by respoftw



Series: 35 Ways To Say I Love You In The Pegasus Galaxy [23]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Music, so fluffy you might die
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-11
Updated: 2016-10-11
Packaged: 2018-08-21 22:19:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8262388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/respoftw/pseuds/respoftw
Summary: In a city where they were more likely to find exploding tumors or broken ascension machines, every good day counted.The day that they found the music room definitely counted as a good day.





	

Sometimes - not often but sometimes - the Atlantis expedition stumbled upon something that reminded John that the Ancients were more than the arrogant, condescending screw ups that had abandoned a dying galaxy. 

In a city where they were more likely to find exploding tumors or broken ascension machines, every good day counted.  

The day that they found the music room definitely counted as a good day.

Bi-weekly concerts and impromptu jamming sessions were quickly absorbed into the social calendar of Atlantis - what little there was of it anyway.  It was kind of neat to see all the hidden musical talent in Atlantis.  The instruments didn’t quite match up with those found on Earth but it was close enough for government work, close enough for them.  Lorne could play a mean almost-trumpet and Marie from the medical team could make the almost-violin sing.  Even John had taken part in a session or two, bringing his own guitar because, no matter how often he tried, he just couldn’t get the hang of the extra frets and strings on the Ancient equivalent.

It was nice.  They could all use a little nice.  

It took John over a month to realise that Rodney hadn’t visited  _ Lantea Square Gardens _ once and despite his assertion that it was in protest of the awful name that had stuck for the room, John wasn’t buying it (and not just because  _ Lantea Square Gardens  _ was an awesome name for the room).

Luckily, John had discovered a good few years ago that if he tilted his head just right and pitched his voice just right, Rodney would do almost anything that he was asked.  It was a power that John tried not to abuse - even if sometimes all he wanted to do was tilt his head, pitch his voice low and tell Rodney to…. _ no _ , John didn’t make a habit of abusing it but this was such a small thing.  It was music; it was harmless; it worked like a charm.

John made sure that they arrived early so they could get the good seats.  The Ancients knew their acoustics and the sound was incredible from anywhere in the room but fourth row, six seats in seemed to be the sweet spot.  He forced Rodney to sit and plied him with power bars and a thermos of coffee to keep him occupied as the room filled up.

As the rest of the expedition (or those lucky enough to be off shift anyway) filtered in, John grew excited.  He hadn’t realised how important it was that he share this with Rodney.  

It was a strange mix tonight; it always was.  First, the unlikely trio of a botanist, a marine and one of the maintenance crew performed some kind of hillbilly-esque banjo three-way duel and John had to hook his hand in Rodney’s shirt to force him back in his seat.  A wide and varied population made for a wide and varied set of performances - not all of them good.  Teyla and Kanaan performed next, Teyla’s smooth voice outshining Kanaan’s simple strumming of a traditional stringed Athosian instrument.  Rodney only barely shifted in his seat at that and John relaxed a little bit, confident that he wouldn’t need to keep Rodney from bailing during this song at least.  

Nobody else was quite as bad as the first group and John was pretty sure he even saw Rodney tapping his toe to Cadman’s cover of ‘ _ Because the Night _ ’. 

Then the piano started.

John didn’t know the woman who closed that evening’s show, Jane-something?  Jan-something?  He didn’t even know the music she played - classical had never really been his thing - but Rodney recognised it.  Whoever she was, she wasn’t very good, too unsure, too halting but John felt Rodney straighten in the chair next to him, suddenly and inexplicably tense.  He half thought that he would need to corral him from leaving his seat again but Rodney was riveted, looking at the piano like it was the last bar of chocolate and the Daedalus was a month out.  John knew that look, had often imagined that look on Rodney’s face when looking at  _ him _ , but he didn’t understand it now.  He didn’t know why Rodney was so affected by this and that...it didn’t sit right with him.  John was used to knowing everything about Rodney - or so he had thought.  It felt strange, wrong, to be left wrong-footed like this.

Rodney applauded politely with the rest of the crowd as the lights came up.  John turned to say something, ask him how he liked it, try not to demand to know why the piano had affected him so badly, but Rodney was out of his chair like a shot.

John prepared to chase after him, maybe persuade him to have a few beers on the pier, but instead of leaving, Rodney was walking towards the stage; the piano.

John waved off the few raised eyebrows that looked his way, promised Ronon he would be ready at 6 the next morning for their run and remained in his seat - the sweet spot - watching as Rodney settled on the piano stool, his fingers hovering over the keys like they were something precious, like they were gold, a ZPM, something  _ more _ than whatever the Ancients used in place of ebony and ivory.

Rodney started hesitantly, but even those few notes took John’s breath away.  It was the same piece of music the last performer had been playing but, in Rodney’s hands, it soared.  Every note, every bar, made John fly higher.  It was exhilarating to watch, John’s heart was racing and he’d never really got classical music until this moment, until this….Rodney’s delighted laughter broke him out of his reverie.

John watched in awe as Rodney shifted from the soaring classical piece he had been playing to a bit of Glenn Miller to Swan Lake to Fur Elise to what sounded suspiciously like the Rolling Stones.  

He had seen Rodney caught up before, lost in science or really good food, but he couldn’t remember ever seeing him so happy.  He was starting to feel guilty, like he shouldn’t be there to see this, when Rodney sat back with a happy sigh.

“I missed this,” Rodney said quietly.

John cautiously stood up and made his way down to the stage.  Rodney shifted further over on the bench and John took that for all the invitation he needed to sit down next to him.

“When did you stop playing?” he asked.

“I was ten years old the last time I touched a piano.”

John was even more impressed now, even more confused.  “Why did you stop?”

Rodney sighed, the happy smile on his face dipping ever so slightly.  “I believed someone who told me I wasn’t good enough,” he shrugged.  “I should have never let that stop me.”  He smiled softly at John.  “Thank you for dragging me here.  You gave me music back and - - well, I’m not sure there are words for what that means to me.”  Rodney stroked the keys again and John wanted to kiss him, wanted to pull him into his arms and - - 

“Play me something?” he asked instead.

Rodney thought for a moment, his cheeks flushing pink for a moment before he nodded his head and cracked his fingers.

John grinned as he recognised the opening bass notes of Johnny Cash.  Rodney seemed to be feeling his way around the song, fiddling with the notes as he went and it was inelegant and messy and perfect.  John shifted a bit closer, until his shoulders were knocking against Rodney’s own.  Rodney glanced at him then, fumbling the notes for a moment, then began to sing.

Rodney’s voice would never win awards but John didn’t think he would ever be able to listen to Cash sing this song again.  It would always be the song Rodney sang for him, now and forever.  Rodney blushed and fumbled his way through the first verse and when his voice started to break on ‘I’ll admit that I’m a fool for you’, John stopped him, his hands covering Rodney’s on the piano, and did what he had wanted to do for the past four years.  Rodney sank into the kiss and, just like that,  _ Lantea Square Gardens _ secured a spot on John’s favourite places in Atlantis forever.  Even if, after tonight, he never could look at that piano bench the same way again.

_ Because you’re mine, I walk the line. _

Well, kind of.  Crossing lines was fun too.  
  


**Author's Note:**

> As always, you can find me on [Tumblr](http://buffycuddlespigs.tumblr.com)


End file.
